The Florida State football team suffered its share of injuries last season. All in all, seven players that began the season as starters, and eight key backups, missed time because of injures. But none of them was more damaging to FSU's season than the knee injury suffered by starting noseguard Paul Griffin.

In the second game versus Troy, Griffin tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee while attempting to make a tackle in the first quarter. With the junior noseguard no longer in the lineup, FSU's formidable one-two punch up front of Griffin and Andre Fluellen was lost. Making matters worse, both key backups on the interior of the defensive line, Emmanuel Dunbar (back) and Letroy Guion (ankle), missed significant time because of injuries. As a result, freshman Budd Thacker and defensive end Alex Boston were forced to start next to Fluellen for most of the 2006 season.